In the 1720s and 1730s Naples was gaining ground in Italian musical
life. Even a celebrated composer like Vivaldi began to feel the
effects of the growing popularity of the Neapolitan style. His
operas became less popular in comparison to the more melodious
and galant operas by composers from Naples. Today the
best-known representative of the Neapolitan style is Giovanni
Battista Pergolesi, whose Stabat mater is one of the most
popular works of the entire 18th century and is probably as frequently
performed as Bach's St Matthew Passion or Mozart's Requiem.
But in his own days this work wasn't received with unanimous
enthusiasm. Some considered his music far too operatic and frivolous
for such serious subject matter. Today the Neapolitan style is
still often associated with easiness and superficiality. Of all
Neapolitan music Pergolesi's Stabat mater is almost the
only piece to receive much attention, whereas most vocal works
from Naples are largely ignored. This recording is very interesting
as we get acquainted with a hardly-known composer whose religious
music far outweighs his secular oeuvre.

Francisco Feo was born in Naples and also died there. He received
his first musical education at the Conservatorio di S. Maria
della Pietà dei Turchini, at the same time as the much
better-known Leonardo Leo. Very quickly he started to make a
name for himself as a composer of operas. He also contributed
arias and scenes to operas by other composers. His first big
success was his opera seria 'Siface' from 1723. This is
also an important work for historical reasons: it was the first
opera on a libretto by Pietro Metastasio who was to become the
most famous librettist of the 18th century.

In the realm of religious music Feo composed music in all the
then common genres, like oratorios, masses, vesper psalms, cantatas
and lamentations. On this disc one of his masses is performed,
unfortunately without any specification. It is written for 5
voices with choir and orchestra, but this doesn't help to identify
it: Feo wrote five masses with the same scoring. The programme
notes mention that this Mass, together with other compositions
from Naples, found its way to the court in Dresden. This was
the effect of the engagement of King Carlo III of Naples to Princess
Maria Amalia of Saxonia in 1738, at which occasion music from
both cities was exchanged.

Some Neapolitan music may be a bit simple and superficial, that
is certainly not the case with this mass. The structure is a
little odd: as common in Italy all attention goes to the Kyrie and
the Gloria (together 33 minutes), whereas the Credo is
rather short (9:30). The Sanctus and Agnus Dei (together
less than 3 minutes) are little more than appendices which are
limited to a declamation of the text without any repetition or
elaboration. That is very different in the first two sections.
Polyphony is rather rare in Neapolitan music, but Feo makes use
of it several times: in the first Kyrie which is repeated
after the Christe, and again at the end of the Gloria,
on the text "Cum Sancto Spiritu". There is also some
text expression: the verse 'Qui tollis' is set to descending
figures, and the word "miserere" is followed by a general
pause. In 'Qui sedes' the same word is set to dissonant chords.
Dissonants also appear in 'Et incarnatus est' which is set homophonically.
Dissonants, chromaticism and suspiratio figures are features
of the 'Crucifixus' which is the most expressive part of this
mass. Very eloquent is also the contrast between the tenor solo
in the opening section of the Gloria on the words "et
in terra" and the tutti on "pax".

In 'Confitebor tibi Domine' (Psalm 110/111) soli and tutti alternate
with the latter used as ritornellos. Two parts of the text are
singled out with musical means: "Sanctum et terribile nomen
eius" (Holy and frightful is his name) en "Initium
sapientiae timor Domini" (fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom).

In the programme notes Gerhard Poppe writes that "both works
are ideally suited for ridding the heads of many people of many
inherited prejudices about Neapolitan sacred music". The
performance aptly supports this wish, even though one has to
question whether Feo's sacred music is representative of what
was written in Naples. But the soloists, choir and orchestra
give fine performances and explore the quite rich texture of
this music well. The vocal solo parts are not very virtuosic.
Only in the 'Laudamus te' do we encounter coloraturas of any
difficulty. The soloists are therefore rather modest in their
performances. They could have been a little more extraverted
and shown more presence. Obviously I don't know the score, but
I would be surprised if the composer had asked for a staccato-like
articulation as the singers produce in the opening section of
the Gloria.

These niggling remarks don't spoil my great appreciation of this
release which offers an interesting and worthwhile addition to
the catalogue of Italian sacred music of the 18th century.

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